Dyle is making it possible to watch live TV on your iPad or iPhone for free (kind of) with EyeTV. That's the good news. The bad news is it sounds like a pretty crappy way to do something that other people make easy.

EyeTV, a service that works in 35 cities, is a free iOS app. But you have to buy $100 adapter in order for it to actually work. You don't need a cable subscription or a Wi-Fi or data connection, so you can watch television until your eyes fall out of their sockets. But content is pretty limited—you mostly get what's on NBC and Fox, as well as a handful of other stations. Calling all American Idol fanatics! But sorry, no recording or DVR capabilities, so you have to watch your programs in real time. Also, due to a rights disagreement, you won't catch any NFL games. And apparently, the picture quality is pretty bad—several rungs below HD, according to AllThingsD.

In this case, if you have cable, you're pretty much better off spending a little more money and getting a Slingbox, although you need to be on data or Wi-Fi to watch shows on your phone. Or just wait. Because EyeTV does at least sound promising, and perhaps the next iteration—or the next next iteration—will be better. [Elgato via AllThingsD]